I had complained about slipping tranny during last visit, they said the tranny was fine but the motor mounts were slipping. They then replaced the motor mounts, not cheap.

Now the tranny still slips, it usually does it when I turn left at a light. Sound funny? It does it warm and cold and not every time.

What the hell is going on?

Richard Martin

11-22-2001, 05:04 PM

The problem is you bought a Dodge. I'm not trying to be funny or insulting so don't freak out on me. Dodge truck trannys are notorious for having problems. There are 4 Dodge pickups on my block that are 3 years old or newer and all of them have been back to the dealer for fixes including replacements. You really need to bug your dealer to fix it before it goes out of warranty.

John DiMartino

11-22-2001, 08:35 PM

Richard,the problem is its dodge?,You think Fords are one bit better? He has something wrong with his truck,it sounds like its low on fluid to me,maybe they arent checking it in neatral,or the trans filter is cracked of leaking at the seal,so when you turn,the fluid sloshes to one side,and it sucks air for a second.This is just a guess.Sprinkler guy,my 2 Dodges have had good trannys that held up great to hotrodding under high power,plowing,towing,and heavy duty service,once they fix this,service it regularly,and it should hold up fine.

Richard Martin

11-23-2001, 02:25 AM

John DiMartino wrote:
............................
Richard,the problem is its dodge?,You think Fords are one bit better?
............................

Did I say that Fords were better? I have a '95 F-150 that suffered from the dreaded Torque Convertor Shudder. But TCS is not a fatal flaw. And the minute I walked into the dealer I didn't even need to ask them to fix it twice. They knew that there was a problem with the tranny and just fixed it instead of trying to dodge the problem like the local Dodge dealer does.

John DiMartino

11-23-2001, 06:45 AM

Im just getting tired of people bashing Dodge trannys on here.My truck put 369.1hp/ 726 fl lbs to the wheels thru an unlocked TC.Once I get my lockup switch in,I know it will put over 400hp/850 at the wheels.I can count zero other trannys that can hold this much torque reliably that are currently in pickups,even modified.

lawn jockey

11-24-2001, 07:59 AM

This is a typical problem with the dodges.We have had over 20 of them in 5yrs. and they have all had new tranny,s installed.(plumbing contractor's) Keep buggging your dealer thats what we had to do wwe had 1 that would shift from d to 2 constantly the dealer said it was fine after5 times of taking it in well when you hold it to the floor the next time it will let go then they have to fix it!!As for slamming dodges they brought it on themselves if you know its junk dont keep putting it in your vehicles!!!!!Ill stick with the chev's though

strickdad

12-01-2001, 02:58 AM

Originally posted by John DiMartino
Im just getting tired of people bashing Dodge trannys on here.My truck put 369.1hp/ 726 fl lbs to the wheels thru an unlocked TC.Once I get my lockup switch in,I know it will put over 400hp/850 at the wheels.I can count zero other trannys that can hold this much torque reliably that are currently in pickups,even modified. while im certinally not a chevy fan i would bet that the allison automatic behind that new duramax diesel would hold that kinda torque.....

John DiMartino

12-01-2001, 08:29 PM

Strick dad,it s funny you mentioned that,because the allision isnt holding even close to that kind of torque,yet.They are having problems at 400hp,750 torque with the tranny,from what my tranny company says they cant get them to hold up at over 350hp,same with the Duramax,it is great at 300hp,but test mules at 400hp,are totally worn out at 25K miles,with hard running,and many dyno pulls.I cant verify this info yet,but my source has been dead on on everything elso so far,so we'l wait and see.The problem is the clutch capacity of the allison,they are holding,even with higher pressures,so when the computer sees it slip (more than a 75 RPM difference in input speed,and output speed),it goes into default mode,to protect the trans.If they bypassed the protective mode the clutches would be fried in no tiem,so for now it looks like the true torque capacity is around 550-600 ft lbs,as advertized,maybe in time they will find a way around this issue and it will hold much more.There is a guy on the TDR with a Dodge ram 4x4 auto,his truck has run a12.67 at over 100mph,his weight is over 6300 lbs,he is running a modified automatic,it is holding up quite well to his constant abuse,and drag racing,mud bogging,and sled pulling.This truck easly has well over 1300 ft lbs of torque,and he has snapped one output shaft,thats it,but that was his own fault brake boosting it to over 20 psi off the line in 4wd high range,holding it back with the brakes.everyone now knows to keep it at or under 15psi when launching,or snap that shaft.This truck was a 5 speed new,and he was destroying an average of one 5 speed a month(NVG4500)) until he went to the automatic,which has been in over a year,and 20K miles of the worst torture you could imagine.So I stil think the tranny is very capable in spite of have a hiogh failure rate behind stock engines.

1grnlwn

12-08-2001, 02:51 PM

from what my tranny company says

I don't have a Dodge or a tranny Co. I must be doing AALL right.

Andy Miller

12-09-2001, 08:50 PM

I have a 1997 Chevy 1/2 which has never towed anything or carried anything heavy until recently. In June, with my wife driving, the transmission self destructed big time. The entire panetary gears was torn up like someone droped bb's in the oil. Naturally, the truck had 61000 miles and was off warrenty. I will buy FORD next time.

turfinator

12-10-2001, 01:22 AM

Ive had alot of good luck in the past both with my Dodge Ram and my wife's Caravan at allpar.com. If you go to the tech help forum your sure to get help with any and all Dodge problems. I posted a problem regarding a remote start and had a guy walk me through the entire process. He had done 1200 of them in the past.

John DiMartino

12-10-2001, 08:48 AM

Andy,hard part failure is impossible to predict,it just happens,and some times without explaination.You didnt say how much you towed,but if you had 3.42 gears that ,tranny is only good to 11000 lbs,combined truck,and trailer,3.73's raise that to 12000 lbs.if you were over that then you took a chance.BTW my cousin has a 96 Z71 excab ,he regularly tows a 37 ft travel trailer ( with slide)3 hr away (hilly too)one way all summer long,the trailers empty weight is 8800 lbs,wet its over 10500.Then he puts an electric golf cart in the bed before he hooks up,add another 1000 lbs for that.He has 105k on the truck,it has a Boss V plow,and plows all winter,no trouble at all with the tranny ,or anything.He services his tranny every other oil change.He pulls in drive at 75-80 mph,rpm's are at 2800-3100 the whole time.So do not tow in OD from now on with the gm 4l60 if its over 4000 lbs.

Albemarle Lawn

12-16-2001, 11:27 AM

The biggest you can get to fit.

I have an 87 Bronco with a strong 5.0. I have 2 coolers on it plus a finned aluminum B&M deep pan. No problems with the C-6 after years of torture.

Ken

strickdad

12-25-2001, 11:09 AM

Originally posted by SprinklerGuy
The dealer said nothing was wrong but it still does it.

I had complained about slipping tranny during last visit, they said the tranny was fine but the motor mounts were slipping. They then replaced the motor mounts, not cheap.

Now the tranny still slips, it usually does it when I turn left at a light. Sound funny? It does it warm and cold and not every time.

What the hell is going on? this is not a transmission slipping..... you said that it usaually does it when turning left. i demoed a 2001 dodge (cummings powered) the other day and it did the same thing. it is the locking differential in the rear end and it is designed to do this. the clutches in the rear end are locking in and unlocking , because the rear end is accidentally senseing tire slipage. (spining) when you turn left (or right for that matter) the outside wheel has to turn faster than the inside wheel to keep up (think about your zero turn mowers, if you are sitting still and turn left, the left wheel does not hardley move and the right wheel (outside) is doing all the work) this has a tendencey to "freak" out true locking rear ends such as those found on the dodge. the truck thinks that the right wheel is spining (when turning left) and begins to lock the left wheel in . it then realizes that the truck is not spining and is moving in a forward direction and "unlocks" the rear end this is when you get a feelling of slipage..... hope this makes sense. bs

thelawnguy

12-25-2001, 09:15 PM

"true locking rear ends such as those found on the dodge. "

You know not what you speak of. All the Dodge Sure-Grips are clutch-pack limited slip, not lockers like the GMs.

The truck may be lifting the inner tire causing the engine to speed up due to the tire being off the ground ;)

John DiMartino

12-25-2001, 11:16 PM

My truck has the occasional hop duringtight turns, from the LSD,but its not a slipping feeling.The clutches will chatter a little if not enough additive is used at the factory or after its serviced.This should not easily be confused with a slipping transmission,

strickdad

12-26-2001, 09:32 AM

Originally posted by thelawnguy
"true locking rear ends such as those found on the dodge. "

You know not what you speak of. All the Dodge Sure-Grips are clutch-pack limited slip, not lockers like the GMs.

The truck may be lifting the inner tire causing the engine to speed up due to the tire being off the ground ;) my point exactly.... what happens to a clutch before it is fully "engauged"........ it slips. The term locked in was taken out of context. i was useing that term in reference to fully "engauged" hence "locked in".... re- read my orginal post , i said the "clutches in the rear end are locking and unlocking..

thelawnguy

12-26-2001, 12:33 PM

But it wont slip in the sense that you would mistake it for a transmission slippage. Even if you went in the pumpkin with a hammer and chisel and removed all the clutches the rear would still function as a normal open diff.

I will reiterate my suspicion that the problem is too much right foot combined with too much left arm on the steering wheel...

strickdad

12-27-2001, 10:04 AM

Originally posted by thelawnguy
But it wont slip in the sense that you would mistake it for a transmission slippage. Even if you went in the pumpkin with a hammer and chisel and removed all the clutches the rear would still function as a normal open diff.

I will reiterate my suspicion that the problem is too much right foot combined with too much left arm on the steering wheel... this may be the case. i talked to a guy with a 98 last night and he said he thinks his is spining when he turns left. but he said it never does it when he turns right. ( makes me think)

John DiMartino

12-27-2001, 11:29 AM

Mine spins either inside tires(left or right,if im at all agressive,to not spin,i have to baby it,or the lsd will keep them running the same speed like a spool.My LSD is fairly tight yet,it always gets posi on blacktop,grass,or whatever your on,even with one tire on backtop and one on grass,it spins them both.

440tony

11-13-2004, 10:23 PM

Back to your problem.... I have a 97 that does this same thing, I have a rear seal leaking and I will loose some fluid. When the fluid gets low I have this shippage when I turn left. The fluid is going to one side and the filter starves for fluid. I would check for leaks. This is a common problem caused by low fluid levels. Simple to fix if corrected soon. Always use ATF 3 transmission fluid, If you can find ATF 4 it is better, It has better anti wear properties. If any other fluid has been used, the fluid has to be changed!!!! You may also need to get you PCM updated, They have made some changes to the transmission software.
This transmission is the same that Chrysler has been building since the 60's. The new units have a 4th gear added to make them overdrive in the tail housing. You can use many of the old HEAVY parts from older transmissions. If you rebuild always install a shift kit, the transmission will last more than twice as long.
I Have a 77 Dodge with a 440 running over 500HP These transmissions are strong. They have been made babys to make for smoother shifts= slippage and wear.

LakeLanierGeorgia

12-12-2004, 03:22 PM

My 1999 Dodge 1/2ton would also slip, actually more like "skip" while shifting gears and "SprinklerGuy" saying that it happened when turning left from a stop keyed me in on my similar situation.

I finally got an engine code that indicated a bad speed sensor in the tailpiece of the tranny. It was only $20.00 and fixed my problem immediately. I also gained 2mpg by fixing it. Upon observation of the old speed sensor, I think it was probably fine and could have been simply cleaned and reinstalled buy I put the new on in anyway. It is a big, plastic threaded nut on the drivers' side tail of the tranny and easily accessible. Just unscrew it (you'll loose a little tranny fluid) and clean the metal fragments off the magnetic nose of the sensor and reinstall it. You should also get a complete tranny flush and filter change along with it cuz those fragments of metal are probably circulating all over and can't be good.

Hope this helps someone out.

Tom

Smalltimer1

12-13-2004, 10:42 AM

Im just getting tired of people bashing Dodge trannys on here.My truck put 369.1hp/ 726 fl lbs to the wheels thru an unlocked TC.Once I get my lockup switch in,I know it will put over 400hp/850 at the wheels.I can count zero other trannys that can hold this much torque reliably that are currently in pickups,even modified.

So how much was your tranny rebuild to take that power??

Smalltimer1

12-13-2004, 10:52 AM

Back to your problem.... I have a 97 that does this same thing, I have a rear seal leaking and I will loose some fluid. When the fluid gets low I have this shippage when I turn left. The fluid is going to one side and the filter starves for fluid. I would check for leaks. This is a common problem caused by low fluid levels. Simple to fix if corrected soon. Always use ATF 3 transmission fluid, If you can find ATF 4 it is better, It has better anti wear properties. If any other fluid has been used, the fluid has to be changed!!!! You may also need to get you PCM updated, They have made some changes to the transmission software.
This transmission is the same that Chrysler has been building since the 60's. The new units have a 4th gear added to make them overdrive in the tail housing. You can use many of the old HEAVY parts from older transmissions. If you rebuild always install a shift kit, the transmission will last more than twice as long.
I Have a 77 Dodge with a 440 running over 500HP These transmissions are strong. They have been made babys to make for smoother shifts= slippage and wear.

I believe you are referring to the Torqueflite 727. Its internals may swap with a 47RE or 48RE, but they are not identical. The new ones are 4 speeds. Dodge has had problems with all their electronic trannies since the early 90's.

The Dodge dealers think its a bad dream that will go away if they ignore it--why do I know, because it happened to one of our farm trucks. Told them to take the POS back, we were going to buy a Ford. They were hesitant so we lemon lawed it.

Heck when I went to the Dodge dealer Friday with my mother's Intrepid, the sales guy came in the shop and asked if I was looking for a vehicle, I said yes I'm looking for a 3/4 ton diesel (preferably Ford), and he asked why not Dodge, and I told him how we'd been let down with a Dodge truck and its transmission, then he tried to tell me that Dodges didn't have transmission problem, and I saw a newer Ram 3500 in the back bay and asked him why it was back there, and he turned a little red in the face and said transmission rebuild.

HOMER

12-18-2004, 08:18 AM

I had a tranny rebuild on my 2000 Cummins at 78,000 miles. Before that I had a governor sensor go out. After the rebuild I asked the service manager if a shift kit would help the tranny out and he said no..........his tranny guy was the best in the business and adding a shift kit wouldn't help a thing. Now.............my tranny wants to "skip" after it shifts into 3rd......sometimes it does it when it's going through second gear. I did replace the speed sensor but it didn't change the outcome. Mine too had metal shavings on it but I think that's common. My speedometer no longer works either. I'd love to say that I've had no problems with the truck but I just can't. I'm also looking at a 4th heater core, waiting to see if the stop leak will hold off the leak til times are better for the repair........the rather costly repair..........again!

I love the Dodge but next time it'll have a 6 speed and maybe one day they will invent an electric heater for these things so we can toss the heater cores that obviously hate electrolosis.

Is there a conversion kit out there to change it from an auto to a manual?????

earthwerks unlimited

01-05-2005, 07:41 PM

Since when do motor mounts slip? Sounds like the dealer is pullin' the ol' wool over someone's eyes.

This slippage you mentioned--please describe in detail.

My '99 Ram with the Cummins and auto had 140,000 of trouble-free used-and- abused miles on it drivetrain-wise. And my '03 with the High Output Cummins and auto is the best truck I've owned.

The '99 had been in for a trans flush (every 15,000) and the the idiot at the shop didn't tighten the hose clamp he put on. The trans blew all/most of the fluid. I filled to the recommended level using the "quarts required" method in the Owners Manual. It was slipping bad. Took it a trans shop. The guy wouldn't even get up from his desk to look at it--he knew what was wrong---it still needed 4 more quarts--the Owners Manual was wrong.

topsites

03-28-2005, 12:41 AM

The dealer said nothing was wrong but it still does it.

I had complained about slipping tranny during last visit, they said the tranny was fine but the motor mounts were slipping. They then replaced the motor mounts, not cheap.

Now the tranny still slips, it usually does it when I turn left at a light. Sound funny? It does it warm and cold and not every time.

What the hell is going on?

I had a similar problem with my D-250. In my case, the truck slipped in the turns ONLY when it was low on trans fluid but not every time (I eventually found the leak, too). Check it and see but in my case it was a problem the dipstick is very unreliable it shows too much then not enough, it is a real testy thing because I know too much trans fluid is not good, but likely the dealer has the same problem with checking the level. What to do?
What I did is I added 1, then another quart of trans fluid and took my chances that I MIGHT be overfilling it AND I was ready to drain the entire contents + refill if the problem got worse. Alas, none of that bad stuff happened and le truck is fixed. :-)
Then for some time (until I found the leak), I would keep trans fluid in the truck and add a quart or two when it started that slipping again.
Now you might look underneath your truck, maybe you see trans fluid, dunno... Might just be low, too, but again: You take the chance and be prepared to drain it immediately if it makes it worse, by immediately I mean you should know it right away then don't drive no more until you drain/refill.
In my case the leak was eventually found to be the shifter-lever gasket.

Back to your problem.... I have a 97 that does this same thing, I have a rear seal leaking and I will loose some fluid. When the fluid gets low I have this shippage when I turn left. The fluid is going to one side and the filter starves for fluid. I would check for leaks. This is a common problem caused by low fluid levels. Simple to fix if corrected soon. Always use ATF 3 transmission fluid, If you can find ATF 4 it is better, It has better anti wear properties. If any other fluid has been used, the fluid has to be changed!!!! You may also need to get you PCM updated, They have made some changes to the transmission software.
This transmission is the same that Chrysler has been building since the 60's. The new units have a 4th gear added to make them overdrive in the tail housing. You can use many of the old HEAVY parts from older transmissions. If you rebuild always install a shift kit, the transmission will last more than twice as long.
I Have a 77 Dodge with a 440 running over 500HP These transmissions are strong. They have been made babys to make for smoother shifts= slippage and wear.

For dodge is it not Mercon/Dexron iii?
Been a while, not sure... Check with the auto-parts store.
I bought the cheapest (store-brand) stuff, they have to meet federal guidelines just like the namebrands, that's what I run.

YardPro

03-28-2005, 07:37 AM

you guys tht keep saying that dodge's don't have transmission issues are like ostriches with thier heads in the sand.

there is definately a higher proportion of transmission failures with the dodge transmission than the other brands.

I know several people with dodges from 97-2000, and every one of them hav had to replace thier transmission with under 100K miles on the trucks.
My friend with the 97 has replaced 2. the first was a salvage trans. when it went within a year of replacement he had it rebuilt. The transmission guy was telling him what the problem was, and said that he installed some new part that would prevent the problem from occouring again.

earthwerks unlimited

03-28-2005, 07:56 AM

YARDPRO: What's your stats on new Fords? My 2005 Ram diesel is coming up on 36,000 miles and no problems whatsover.

My former helper now works at a Ford dealership. He told me they are seeing 2-5 2005 pickups per week coming back with auto trans that won't shift and many that won't go into reverse. I didn't ask him if he knew what the the problem resulted from.

YardPro

03-28-2005, 11:46 AM

i am not saying that any other brand is any better.

every brand has thier problem from time to time.

I am not getting into a debate on which brand is better. As i personally have no preferance.

All I am saying is that late 90's and early 2000's dodge trucks have a transmission issue. I would hope that it would be fixed by now.

Also just becuase YOUR truck has no problems does not mean that that brand overall is any more or less reliable than any other.

And with only 36000 miles, i would hope you would not have had any issues.

also The ram's i am refering to are the 1500 series. I would think yours would have a different transmission.

There are things I like and dislike about each brand. They all have an issue from time to time.
It's funny how brand loyal and defensive people get about thier trucks. They always point out all the problems other brands have, and exxagerate them a little, while downplaying whatever issues thier brand has.......